The doctoral dissertation of Maryam Hadji focuses on the pivotal role opium use plays in cancer development. Opium has been classified as a carcinogenic, but much still needs to be clarified regarding the association between opium use and cancer.
To study the association, Hadji used the data collected by the The Iranian Study of Opium and Cancer (IROPICAN) project in ten provinces of Iran. The overall aim of the project was to evaluate the association between opium use and cancers of the head and neck, colorectum and bladder.
The study found a heightened risk for head and neck and bladder cancer in opium users as well as an increased risk of colorectal cancer in high-frequent opium users. Opium use was found to be strongly associated with an increased risk of developing bladder and head and neck cancers, but the link between opium use and colorectal cancer was weak. The studies included in Hadji’s dissertation will add to understanding the impact of opium use on the risk of developing cancer in the head and neck, bladder, colon, and rectum, and serve as a background for future investigations in this field.
“It is essential to understand the risks associated with opium use and especially those related to cancer. This knowledge is crucial for opium users, as it is vital for them to be aware of the risks so that they may consider making changes and stop using it. Quitting opium and avoiding smoking can significantly reduce the chance of developing cancer in these parts of the body,” Hadji says.
This dissertation utilised 633 histologically confirmed cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, 717 cases of bladder cancer, 848 cases of colorectal cancer and 3,477 common controls.
Maryam Hadji is a graduate of the International Doctoral program in Epidemiology and Public Health, which is an international doctoral training and research program for epidemiologists, researchers at Faculty of Social Science, Tampere University. The study was conducted in a close collaboration with Caner Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, Morgan State University, Maryland, USA, and International Agency for research on Cancer, Lyon, France.